As a seasoned gamer with decades of experience under my belt, I find myself captivated by Stalker 2‘s unique blend of immersive storytelling and atmospheric exploration. The game’s setting, inspired by the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone, offers an unsettling yet enticing allure that echoes in the corners of my gaming memory, drawing me into its deadly embrace.
I died a lot playing Stalker 2: Heart of Chornobyl.
Similar to its 2008 predecessor, GSC Game World’s long-awaited follow-up maintains a challenging atmosphere, as the Zone – the radioactive region surrounding Chornobyl teeming with anomalies that defy physics, mutants, and hostile individuals who will find reasons to end your life – mirrors the harshness and fragility of real life. If you’re not careful in the Zone, your journey through Stalker 2’s expansive open world becomes both captivating and overwhelming.
Recently, I delved into approximately three hours of Stalker 2, focusing on its initial stages and early missions. My journey through the game’s ominous setting was occasionally challenging, particularly when I found myself repeatedly attempting to subdue a bandit group, ultimately ending up dead or injured from a well-timed grenade blast. However, as I gradually learned to prioritize self-preservation by moving cautiously, scouting, and assessing threats from afar, Stalker 2 offered an adrenaline-pumping, suspenseful experience. Players are challenged to stay vigilant and are rewarded with intriguing, thrilling encounters within the Zone.
In Stalker 2, you’re quickly plunged into the enigmatic world of the Zone. This area was impacted by two incidents – the real-life Chernobyl nuclear disaster in 1986 and a fictional event in 2006. As a result, the Exclusion Zone is riddled with uncanny, almost otherworldly occurrences. Gusts of wind might lift people off their feet only to crush them moments later, while mysterious spherical areas of gravitational distortion resembling nearly invisible bubbles can pull you in. Occasionally, flames or electrical discharges erupt from the ground when you get too close.
Abnormalities can be both harmful and fatal, yet they possess immense worth. Navigating towards the core of certain abnormalities requires caution, as a warning device emitting persistent beeps signals your proximity to danger. This guidance system helps you choose a safe route; if you succeed, you may discover an artifact – a peculiar item with extraordinary attributes that can be attached to your character. This is what Stalkers, who earn their living in the Zone by scavenging, are pursuing.
Following a treacherous act within your journey into the Forbidden Region, you eventually transform into a Stalker out of survival instincts, seeking revenge against the one who deceived you and retrieving a unique relic they’ve taken. Similar to the storyline in the original Stalker, your mission is to track down this individual while interacting with locals who make their living within the Zone. This necessitates visiting Stalker outposts and undertaking tasks in exchange for intel.
In Stalker 2, you’re plunged straight into action following a tutorial, where your character appears to be in grave danger. A fellow Stalker then rescues you and instructs you on the technique of launching metal bolts at anomalies, which may allow you to dash through them while they recharge, or alternatively, assess their size and distance by touching their edges. This Stalker guides you towards a town inhabited by other Stalkers, and en route, you can undertake side quests and encounter random enemies.
In one of these optional tasks, you stumbled upon a Stalker pinned down inside a wrecked post office, exchanging fire with some of the rogue gang members who dwell within the Zone. Eliminate them, and he’ll task you with leading the way to their hideout, aiding his friend who is being held captive due to gambling debts accrued by another individual at the post office. This was where I met my end on numerous occasions, as combating fellow humans can prove to be exceptionally challenging.
In Stalker 2, you’ll notice a similarity to the original game where your weapons may not be top-notch or always reliable for accurate shots. You can approach enemies in dilapidated buildings near the post office, some of whom are on patrol and chatting, to gain an advantage. However, firing at them can be challenging due to their unpredictable reactions. A headshot will usually take down any human enemy, but body shots are quite erratic, making precise aiming under stress a challenge. This difficulty level is likely intended by the creators of Stalker 2 to make each encounter feel thrilling and perilous.
There is a jankiness to fighting overall, though, that can get a little irritating. It’s not uncommon to be peeking out of cover, blasting away at your foes, only to have another guy walk right up behind you and shoot you in the back of the head, with no way of knowing he was there. And as mentioned, it can be tough to land accurate shots; at times I felt like I was dumping a whole magazine of bullets into one guy to little effect, while others went down immediately after one well-placed shot.
Redoing the same brief skirmish multiple times felt frustrating, especially when it seemed like I was stuck in an endless loop of combat. However, this repetition allowed me to memorize each enemy’s location, which eventually helped me to conquer the situation. Conversely, experiencing a few defeats during what essentially served as my initial battle left a lasting impact on me regarding Stalker 2 – engaging in combat is highly risky and should be avoided whenever feasible.
The deliberate unpredictability in combat within Stalker 2 seems purposeful, encouraging caution when encountering characters in the game world and staying vigilant to steer clear of unwanted conflicts. It even made me pause before accepting future side quests. Was I willing to charge into a bandit camp for mere coupons? Could the Stalker who assigned the task be leading me into danger? These aspects give Stalker 2’s open world an ominous and constantly threatening atmosphere.
It was even more thrilling to discover the opportunity to traverse the Zone and come across peculiar occurrences. Navigating to any destination necessitates vigilance and caution against abnormalities, mutants, and humans alike. I chanced upon a pair of Stalkers fleeing from grotesque pigs known as Fleshes on a farmstead, and observed one barricading himself within the farmhouse while the other was slain by these monstrous creatures. Engaging them in combat demonstrated that it can be just as awkward against mutants as against humans. As I maneuvered in circles to dodge the pigs, they repeatedly charged at me, while I unloaded a barrage of bullets into each one. Instances such as these contributed to Stalker 2 feeling more clumsy than most contemporary games typically do. The game seems somewhat reminiscent of 2008 in parts, which provides it with a distinctive ambiance consistent with its setting and concepts, but at times makes it awkward to play.
I saved the survivor, who thanked me before letting me go on my way. Later, I noticed another group of those same mutated pigs out in a field, with an anomaly floating nearby. This time, I drew their attention with a few gunshots and then stood with the anomaly between me and them, letting them charge right into it and implode in midair. It was as satisfying a solution as it was efficient, and played into the idea that paying attention and using your knowledge of the Zone might be more interesting for gameplay experiences than relying on more run-of-the-mill video game elements like shooting. The combat feeling a little clunky and creaky, just like your fragility as a character, encourages that approach.
During one of my side quests, I stumbled upon an intriguing site: a field filled with ominous, unusual poppies. Just like in The Wizard of Oz, these poppies induce heavy sleepiness on anyone who ventures near, and once asleep here, there’s no waking up. To make matters worse, you can hear faint whispers and echoes of the souls who’ve been trapped within the field. As I searched for a missing religious artifact from someone who previously inhabited the area before the incident, I had to constantly drink energy drinks to stay alert. The screen would dim whenever I felt myself drifting off, hinting at my growing fatigue. At the same time, a streak of petals – an anomaly, seemingly alive – would sweep through the field, intensifying the drowsiness. I eventually found the artifact and escaped the field only after the screen had gone dark for so long that I feared I’d never wake up again amidst those deadly poppies.
In the community and while progressing through Stalker 2’s primary narrative, I experienced an unusual type of tension. Upon entering my initial destination, I encountered locals at odds with the Wardens, a military unit operating within the Zone, who were pursuing a Stalker they suspected had killed some of their personnel. To learn about your traitor, you can decide to collaborate with certain townsfolk, who aim to shield the accused, or with the Wardens, accepting tasks from either faction. If you converse with the Wardens, they’ll direct you to a location where they believe the killer is concealed, based on information provided by a local informant. It struck me as evident that the informant had deceived them, hoping to lead the Wardens into a trap, given his stern warning for caution.
Instead of joining my own group, I decided to collaborate with another team. To my surprise, I uncovered a man who had secretly taken refuge in a windmill brimming with dangerous traps, situated far from where we initially set out. I assisted him by venturing into a treacherous cave, slaying an elusive mutant, and carefully navigating a lethal aberration to retrieve the artifact he required. Although the episode ended without revealing the consequences of my actions, it was evident that the ruling Wardens wouldn’t be pleased if they failed to apprehend their suspect.
Looking forward to exploring enigmas, unraveling the secrets of an expansive world, and navigating the power struggles among rival groups all piques my interest for Stalker 2. The game’s eerie, enigmatic ambiance makes traversing its open landscape both intriguing and nerve-wracking. In Stalker 2, the tension lies between the longing to uncover hidden truths, like a field filled with whispering poppies, and the unsettling awareness that this Zone is also teeming with things capable of, and perhaps intent on, taking your life. Although it occasionally seems reminiscent of older games, particularly in its combat mechanics, it’s this nostalgic vibe that also contributes to Stalker 2 being both chilling and captivating.
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2024-10-16 16:39